Not the Monster They Think I Am
by Athena'sRaven
Summary: People sneered at Hans. They all looked at him and saw the monster that had tried to kill their queen. But Hans knew that he had done the right thing, and no one could convince him otherwise. This is Frozen and the events that follow from Hans's point of view.
1. Before

**Author's note:**

 **Every time I watch Frozen, I can't help but think that there is something a little off about Hans. He starts out as a quirky love interest for Anna, then he saves Elsa, then he's all of the sudden trying kill them both. So to satisfy my own** **curiosity** **, I'm rewriting Frozen from Hans's point of view.** **I hpe you enjoy.**

 **I don't own Frozen or any of its characters.**

 **Before**

As soon as Hans heard that the Arendelle coast was in sight, he felt his heart soar. He still couldn't believe that he was there. It felt like a dream. The reclusive princesses of Arendelle were throwing a party for the new queen's coronation, and Hans of all people had been chosen as the Southern Isles representative. He had never been so happy that one of his brothers was getting married to a queen and his parents were in the middle of an important trade negotiation. If this hadn't been such a busy week in the Southern Isles, one of Han's older brothers surely would have been sent instead of him. After all, to his family, Hans was just an unwanted surprise and was incapable of doing anything properly.

But today was the day that he would prove everyone wrong. Hans was determined to not only meet the reclusive princesses, but to win them over. He knew that his family secretly hoped that he would be returning with an engagement to Queen Elsa. Arendelle was a old, powerful and strong nation with deep ties to many places, but unfortunately the Southern Isles wasn't one of those places. To marry Queen Elsa would be to prove his worth once and for all. No one would scoff at the the stupid youngest prince anymore.

Hans rushed out of his room, up the stairs and to the front on the boat. He could see the green shore of Arendelle. He could see the castle. Hans found himself slipping into a fantasy of living in that castle with a beautiful queen at his side.

 _Stop it,_ he scolded to himself. _You haven't even laid eyes on the princesses yet, much less met them. It is too soon to plan your reign as King._

 _But it would be so nice if it happened…_

Hans snapped out of it entirely when he realized how close they were to Arendelle. He had to go change and gather his stuff. He would be staying in an inn that night, attending the coronation the next day, then sailing out first thing the morning after that. As Hans hurried downstairs and started throwing his stuff into his bag, he found himself irritated at how little time he had to make the princesses of Arendelle like him. Really, he only got one night in the castle before the gates were closed again. This was impossible. Hans was going to go back home as useless and single as he was when he left. Maybe this is why Hans was sent instead of of of his more eligible brothers. Maybe his family knew it was pointless.

Hans trudged back upstairs, significantly less excited than before. There was no way that Queen Elsa would waste her big day on him. No one would waste their time on the their time on the thirteenth prince.

While the ship hands worked on docking the ship, Hans slung his bag over his shoulder and wandered down the dock to rent a horse. He had always like horses. He had no real reason why, he just got along with them. Maybe it was because his family ignored him, the servants didn't care about him and he had no friends, and he needed to have a relationship with someone.

The stable boy handed Hans the reins of a brown horse, and Hans handed him some money.

"Hello," Hans said to his horse before realizing that he was in the middle of a public place and talking to a horse.

Hans stepped into a stirrup and mounted the horse, determined to get to the inn early so that he at least might be able to sleep enough to prevent the dark circles from appearing under his eyes.

The inn was a quaint place. It might have been nice if it wasn't so crowded. Apparently Elsa's coronation was drawing quite a crowd.

Hans walked up to the desk where people checked in and placed his hand on it.

"Can I help you?" The man behind me the desk asked.

Hans was tempted to say, _no, I just wanted to come over here for the fun of it,_ but he knew that sarcasm wouldn't be well received.

"Yes," Hans said. "I'm Prince Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles and I need a room."

"Ah, the Southern Isles," the man behind the desk said as he reached for a room key. "You are a long way from home."

"Indeed, but we are here to show our support for the soon to be Queen Elsa," Hans said in a bored voice. He hated conversations that would lead to nowhere. What's the point of small talk if you get nothing for doing it?

"Yeah sure," the man muttered. "A young man like yourself is just here for moral support."

"Yes I am," Hans snapped as he snatched up the key. "Thank you for your time."

And without so much as another looked, Hans walked away. The man's comment annoyed Hans not because it was false to assume that Hans was after a woman that he had never even met, but because it was absolutely true. Hans was here to get a wife, just like every other signal prince, duke or lord in town. The thought made Hans cringe a little. He'd always been proud that he was different from all of the sleazy royals that he was surrounded by growing up. Hans had promised himself that he would never become like them. He would continue to care about people, no matter who they were. He would never give in to his mother's etiquette lessons. He would NOT be selfish like his family.

Without even realizing it, Hans had managed to get to his room. He opened the door and looked around. It was much smaller that Han's room back home, but it was luxurious compared to the cabin that he had on the ship from the Southern Isles. Everything was simple, but neat. Hans decided that he liked it. He set his bag down on the dresser and wandered over to the window. From where he was standing, he could see Arendelle's palace. Even from this far away, Hans could see people rushing around outside of the palace to set up for the festivities tomorrow. He could almost hear the music and smell to delicious food that would no doubt be sold. But on this ruined this lively picture. Towering over the busy towns people was the palace. It stood cold and silent with the gates sealed shut. Hans had heard that no one was allowed in the Arendelle palace, of course, but it was something very different to see in in person. Despite his families many shortcomings, Hans's family had never tried to isolate themselves. In fact, the was always new people visiting back home at the Southern Isles. Hans had to go to at least on party a week to meat the newest guests. These events hadn't always been fun. Actually, Hans hated them because it gave his brothers an open shoot at humiliating him. But being surrounded by strangers and guests was part of the royal life. How were you supposed to run a county if you didn't know what you people needed, or what your trade partners wanted? Did the princesses communicate solely through letters?

Just then, a horrible thought occurred to Hans. What if there was something wrong with the girls? Perhaps their parents had been trying to hide something. What if one of them was horribly deformed or talked with a terrible stutter? Could a king and queen shut down their entire kingdom, and keep it shut down even after their deaths out of humiliation?

Hans mentally scolded himself. He couldn't let himself think that way about people that he hadn't even met yet. He might not be the perfect picture of princely behavior, but he was no monster.

Besides, he really needed to get some sleep.


	2. When Hans Met Anna

**Author's note:**

 **Thank you so much for supporting my story! And special thanks to Jenn. Everything that you pointed out is the exact reason that I choose to write this. Also, I may be a hardcore Helsa shipper myself. Sorry/ not sorry. It won't be the focus of this story, though. There are honestly more important aspects of Hans's character. One more thing: I'd just like to say really quick that if you want to keep hating Hans, you should probably not read this story. You've been warned.**

 **2\. When Hans met Anna**

The next day, Hans was up with the sun. He couldn't wait to join the kingdom of Arendelle in on of the biggest celebration of century.

Because he was so eager, it took Hans only minutes to get ready. It wasn't too hard of course. Hans already had his outfit picked out his hair could be tamed by running his fingers through it a few times. Once he was convinced that he looked a princely as he could, he headed downstairs to grab some breakfast.

The inn was serving plates of eggs for breakfast. Hans took one before glancing around the dining hall. Being so far from home, he recognized no one, so he opted to sit alone at a table in the corner. This was probably not the best choice, see how the alone time gave Hans time to think. No matter what, he couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious princesses of Arendelle and their sealed palace gates. The more he considered everything, the less sense it made. Even if something was wrong with the two girls, surely there were better ways to handle it.

 _I wish I could tell them that,_ Hans thought. _I wish that they knew that there was another way._

Hans physically shook his head to clear his mind. He had to remind himself that this wasn't his country to run. As usual, Hans Westerguard belonged somewhere were he couldn't be seen or heard by anyone important. He was the unwanted prince, and being an ocean away from his family couldn't change that.

"Prince Edward, is that you?"

Hans jumped slightly at the sound of the loud voice behind him. He turned around to see a short, scrawny man with grey hair, glasses and a terrible mustache looking at him.

"No sir," Hans answered, trying and failing not to sound bitter. "Prince Edward is my brother. I am Prince Hans."

The scrawny man wave his hand dismissively. "It hardly matters. You Southern Isles prince all at same anyway."

Hans had to grip to arms of his chair to keep from throttling the man in front of him. He couldn't believe that anyone could compare him to Edward of all people. Edward had once convinced the entire family to ignore Hans's existence. He had kept the gag going for three whole years. Why? Because despite the fact that Edward could have (and did have) pretty much any girl in the Southern Isles whenever he wanted them, one of the young kitchen workers had turned him down because she had thought that Hans was more attractive. Hans had done nothing but exist, yet Edward was still petty enough to find a reason to make him miserable.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Hans asked the scrawny man.

The man scoffed and stuck his nose in the air. His sense of self importance was really getting under Hans's skin.

"I'm am the Duke of Weselton, you incompetent boy. As in 'Arendelle's closest partner in trade' Weselton. In fact, I'm probably the only reason that you are sitting here right now."

Hans narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Arendelle and the Southern Isles don't exactly have a connection. But Weselton tightly knit to both of you. I'm sure Elsa just invited you to keep my beloved sister happy," The duke said arrogantly.

Hans happened to know for a fact that Arendelle wasn't 'tightly knit' with anybody. They had people that they let use their ports and people that they didn't. That was about the extent of Arendelle's foreign relations.

The duke continued, "but I'm not here to talk about trade. No, I'm here because I need answers about the princesses."

Hans pearled up slightly at the mention of the girls.

"Ah, yes. I have your attention now. You see, I think that important men like you and me deserve to know what's going on behind those gates," The duke said.

Hans stood up so fast that his chair toppled over. He couldn't explain exactly what was wrong with the duke's comment, but something about it bothered him.

"What exactly are you saying?" Hans asked.

"It's simple, really someone needs to figure out what's going on with the princess. I fully believe that they will talk to me, of course, but there might also be a benefit to having a handsome young man like yourself on my side."

Hans could feel the repulsion in the pit of his stomach. It was the duke speaking, but Hans could hear his parents and brothers. People who would do anything to another person if it meant getting ahead. He'd been used as a distraction or a prize more than a few times in his life. Each time, it seemed to chip away a little of Hans's humanity. He hated lying and manipulation, but deep down, he feared that it was the only thing that he knew how to do.

"No," Hans said. "No. Do what you wish, but I won't get involved."

"Boy, think about what you are saying. These are the princesses of _Arendelle._ They have riches that you can't even comprehend."

But Hans was already gone. He didn't want the money. Heck, he didn't even want the queen. What he wanted was to prove his family wrong about him, but there had to be a better way to do that then getting involved with some sleazy duke and preying on strangers. There had to be.

Hans got his horse from the inn's stable, then rode towards the town square. His route took him along the coast of Arendelle. Hans didn't have any problems with the water, but he grew up on an island and had been on a boat for three days just to get to Arendelle. The fjord simply didn't interest him. Besides, there were a hundred more things to see. Colorful flowers and ribbons had been twisted into decorations a hung up all over the kingdom. Families laughed together as they walked through the streets. It was beautiful.

Hans was so distracted by what was around him that he didn't notice the girl running towards him until it was too late. The small redhead ran straight into the horse, effectively knocking herself off course so that she tumbled into a wooden rowboat. Hans watched in horror as the boat began to tip of the edge of the dock. At the last second, Hans came to his senses and urged his horse forward to catch the boat. Unfortunately, this just jarred the girl more.

She grabbed a stray piece of seaweed off of her face and threw it down. "Hey!" She yelled, turning to glare at Hans.

"I'm so sorry," Hans said quickly. "Are you hurt?"

He face softened slightly. "Hey. I, uh, no," she stuttered. "No. I'm okay."

Looking at her sprawled out in a rowboat, looking slightly dazed, Hans wasn't convinced.

"Are you sure?" He asked, jumping off of the horse to go help her up.

"Yeah, I just wasn't looking where I was going. But I'm okay."

Hans was beginning to realize that she wasn't dazed so much as as she was naturally quirky.

"Thank goodness," Hans said as he offered her his hand to help her to her feet.

She took his hand and stood and for a second Hans seemed to lose his train of thought. He was noticing how bright her eyes were and how the freckles that spread across her cheeks seemed to almost form constellations. Despite the fact that she had just been thrown into a boat, she looked beautiful.

 _Oh, right,_ Hans thought suddenly, _I was the one who knocked her into that boat. She must think that I'm a brute._

"Oh! Uh, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles," Hans said with a small bow, trying desperately to regain some amount of formality between them. He couldn't just go around knocking girls into boats, watching them tumble around like leafs in the wind, then get lost in their eyes. That was not okay.

The girl smiled brightly at him and curtsied in return. "Princess Anna of Arendelle."

"Princess?" Hans repeated, as he mentally kicked himself. Had he just plowed over the woman who would be crowned queen today? Or maybe this was her younger sister. Either way, this could be a problem. "M'lady," Hans said falling to one knee. Hans had bowed before a hundred royals, but never before had he been okay with it. This girl, whether she was the crow princess or not, seemed like someone that Hans could respect. She was so kind and full of life. It was almost impossible to believe that she had come from the cold, silent palace.

Then the worst possible thing that could happen did happen. Hans's horse lifted its foot just enough to send Hans and the young princess tumbling towards the front of the boat. The girl yelped in surprise.

"Woah!" Hans cried as he reached out to catch the girl so that she didn't fall into the fjord.

The redhead giggled awkwardly. "Hi," she said. "Again."

For half a second, it seemed like everything might be okay, but then the horse seemed to realize his mistake and slammed his hoof back down. Hans and the princess were catapulted backwards. Hans's back hit the bottom of the boat and the air was knocked out of his lungs. A fraction of a second later,the princess landed in a heap on top of him.

"Oh, boy," Hans said.

The princess laughed uncomfortably. "This is awkward." She pulled back, giving Hans room to sit up. "Not that you're awkward, but just that we're-" she seemed to change her mind mid sentence. "I'm awkward. You're gorgeous. Wait, what?" She seemed shocked that she had just said that out loud.

Inside, Hans was laughing. This girl was beautiful and genuine that Hans could scarcely believe that she was royalty. Maybe Hans had only known her for a few seconds, but he could already tell that she was kind of person that he would want to have lunch with just so that they could get to know each other.

But she was still a stranger and a lady and Hans was a gentleman, so Hans got to his feet, and for the second time that day, offered his hand to the princess. She took it and Hans helped her to her feet.

"I'd like to formally apologize for hitting the princess of Arendelle with my horse," Hans said with a slightly bowed head and apologetic smile. "And for every moment after," he added.

"No!" she said quickly. "No, no. It's fine. I'm not THAT princess." she started to back away from him, back towards the dock. "I mean, if you had hit my sister Elsa, that would be- yeash!" she shook her hands to emphasize that it wouldn't have gone well if Hans had hit Elsa. "'Cuz you know," Anna paused as she came face to face the horse. "Hello," She told him before stepping on to the dock and looking back at Hans. "But, lucky you, it's just me."

Hans couldn't keep from chuckling. "Just you?" He asked. This girl was like no one that he had ever met before (and Hans had met a lot of people). How could she say something like that about herself?

Anna just sighed and offered him a smile.

Hans couldn't help but smile back. That crooked smile was the sweetest thing that he had ever seen.

Somewhere in the distance, church bells started ringing. Hans wasn't going to acknowledge them, but they caused Anna to jump.

"The bells," she said. "The coronation. I better to go. I have to… I better go," She rambled as she turned to leave, but as she did, she gave Hans a little wave. "Buy!"

Hans waved back, but it didn't matter. She was already halfway down the street. Almost as if the horse wanted to say goodbye to the retreating princess, he lifted his front hoof.

"Oh no," Hans said to know one as he felt the boat tip.

He hit the water with a splash. Hans knew that he would be a mess for the coronation, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the feeling of the water. It was cool, but not cold. Perfect In the warm Arendelle summer. He came up for air, but found himself under the boat. As he pushed it up so he could look around and get he bearings, he caught one last glimpse off Anna as she hurried through the palace gates.

Now that girl was something else. As a prince, Hans met princesses by the dozens, but never had he met one like Anna. They all were stuck up little brats who treated Hans like dirt because he had nothing to offer them. But in those few moments with Anna, Hans hadn't felt like the unwanted prince. The princess of Arendelle, the girl everyone in the world wanted to meet today had treated him kindly. Hans didn't know exactly what to make of that yet, but he was sure one one thing. He liked Anna.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!**


	3. Love Is An Open Door

**Author's note:**

 **Wow, you guys are the best. I still can't believe how positive all of your feedback is, especially because I've never written anything like this before. But I was thinking that we need a little more character development for Hans, so brace yourselves for regrets and unrequited love. And happy Halloween!**

 **The coronation:**

Because Hans had to take time to dry off, he showed up to the coronation ceremony at the last possible second. He was actually okay with this. It saved him from a lot of unnecessary and painful small talk with people who would undoubtedly rather talk to his parents or brothers.

Hans took one of the last open seats. It was a seat between a man that he didn't recognize and Prince Tomlin of the Northern Isles. Hans had always liked Prince Tomlin. He was the youngest of five children, so he understood what it was like to not matter to your family or kingdom. But unlike Hans, Tomlin was content to live a quiet life in the background. Tomlin just accepted that he was ordinary.

"Sleep in, did you?" Tomlin asked Hans with a chuckle.

"Nope," Hans said. "I just took a swim in the fjord."

Tomlin's eyebrows jumped up a notch on question.

"Oh yeah? What persuaded you to do that?"

Hans shrugged. "Would you believe me if I told you that the princess of Arendelle dumped me in?"

Tomlin let out a deep laugh. "You have such an imagination, Hans. I always forget how clever you are."

Hans just nodded. He wasn't sure wether to be mad that Tomlin didn't believe him or to take the compliment and move on. Luckily, Hans didn't have to make a decision, because at that moment, the stranger sitting next to Hans let out a defining snore and his head fell sideways onto Hans's shoulder.

"Is he asleep?" Hans asked, trying to bend over so that he could see the man's face without jarring him awake.

"He's been out all morning ," Tomlin explained. "I wouldn't judge him too harshly, though. It's had to have been stressful week for him."

"What do you mean?" Hans asked. "Who is he?"

"Lord Anders. He's been the regent for Arendelle for the past three years. I don't know too much about him, but I have to say that he has had one of the hardest jobs in the world. I can't imagine what it would be like to have run a kingdom from behind closed gates. A kingdom that was never meant to be yours in the first place."

Hans bit his lip. He didn't want to disagree with Tomlin, but to Hans that sounded like a dream come true. To be able to make a difference and help people without all the silly aristocracy of normal palace life? Hans wanted nothing more.

"I'd have to disagree." Hans said as politely as he could manage. "Lord Anders might have been under a lot of stress this week because of the upcoming coronation, but surely it was a honor for him to serve his people and his princesses."

Tomlin seemed to consider this, but he never got to comment on it because that was when the choir rose to their feet and started to sing. Hans immediately recognized the song that they were singing. It was a very beautiful and classic piece. It had been performed at nearly all of his brothers' weddings. But the Arendelle Choir was even better than the one that they had in the Southern Isles. They were clearly talented musicians.

The noise of the heavy chapel doors being opened in the back of the room drew Hans's attention away from the choir. He turned around to see one of the most stunning young women that he had ever seen. In many ways, she looked like her sister. She had the same lieth frame, round face and blue eyes. But when Hans had met Anna, she had seemed so warm and full of life. This woman seemed to radiate coldness and power. She walked with her shoulders square and a determined look on her face. Hans was beginning to understand why it would have been bad if he had hit Elsa with his horse. Elsa was not the sort of person that you messed with. One look at her told him that.

Hans was so focused on Elsa that he almost missed Anna's entrance. She was dressed the same as she was out by the fjord. Out there she had seemed overdressed, but compared to her sister, she looked insignificant. It didn't help that while Elsa stood up straight and looked straight ahead, Anna slouched slightly and glanced around nervously. There was a look of pure awe on her face as she scanned the crowed. Finally she met Hans's eyes. Hans smiled at her.

Anna's face lit up at Hans's recognition of hre. She gave him a small wave that Hans found very cute. He waved back at her.

Hans turned his attention back to Elsa and saw that the minister had picked up her crown and she had bowed her head to receive it. The crown was pinned to Elsa's hair, then the minister reached for the scepter and orb.

At the sight of the crown jewels, Elsa faltered for the first time. Hans watched in fascination as Elsa hesitantly took off her gloves and picked up the scepter and orb like she was afraid that they would burn her.

 _Maybe the jewels made it real for her_ , Hans thought. _Maybe she's afraid to replace her parents_.

Whatever it was, Elsa seemed to grow tenser as the minister read the traditional words that would officially crown Elsa queen of Arendelle.

A few hours later, Hans was in the palace ballroom, wishing that he was anywhere else. He'd had to speak to so many different people, yet they'd all asked him the same things. They all needed to be told which Southern Isles prince Hans was, then they would ask about Hans's parents health, Hans would admit that is was failing, the person Hans was talking to would pretend to be sad, then ask if Hans's oldest brother and his wife were ready to rule.

Finally, Hans decided that he was just going to leave. It would be best for everyone if he could just put this whole Arendelle mess behind him. He had come hoping that he could start a dialog with the princess, and realistically, he had been successful. He hadn't gotten to know Queen Elsa, but no one at the party had so far had the courage to approach Elsa for more than a few seconds. But he had spoken to Princess Anna. Sure, the entire encounter had been awkward and embarrassing, but Anna had singled out Hans at the coronation. His only regret was that she had been busy all night, so he hadn't been able to ask her for a dance.

Hans pulled himself out of his self-pity just in time to see a blur of red and green falling towards him. At the last second, Hans reached out and caught Princess Anna by her wrist.

"Glad I caught you," Hans said with a smile.

"Hans," Anna gasped.

Over Anna's shoulder, Hans could see the orchestra preparing for their next piece, so he lifted Anna up so that she was standing upright, took her hand and her waist and spun her around right as the music started. It was impecable timing, if he did say so himself.

Anna giggled as Hans waltzed her toward the middle of the room.

"What is it?" Hans asked her.

"I just kind of funny that this is the second time that I've fallen down today, and both times you helped me up. I guess we can't just meet in a normal way," Anna said.

"To be fair, I was the one who knocked you down the first time," Hans answered. "And I don't need normal as long as the lovely princess of Arendelle is dancing with me."

Hans was was taken aback by his own words. He had always hated flirting. It always felt so disingenuous. As a result, Hans didn't flirt. He didn't want to shower the shallow girls who would invade his home for holidays with compliments that he didn't mean. And he sure as hell didn't want to accidently woo one of them and have them want him for a husband. But Anna wasn't like them, now was she?

"Wow," Anna said. "Oh wow. That's good. I've never been good at 'normal.' Actually, I don't think that I would even know where to begin. I don't get out much."

Hans chuckled. "No kidding. Can I ask why that is? Why you keep the gates closed, I mean. I don't mean to pry, I'm just curious."

Anna shook her head. "Hans, if I knew, I would tell you, but I haven't the slightest clue."

Okay, THAT was weird. But Hans didn't press the issue. Instead he took Anna's arm and guided her off to the side of the room. He wanted to talk, not dance.

"So are you enjoying the party?" Hans asked.

Anna's face lit up. "Oh yes. I've never been to anything like this. It's absolutely amazing. Did you go to balls often back home?"

Hans nodded. "Oh, yes. At least once a week. They were rarely like this though, they were such stuffy affairs." Hans shook his head. "I'd much rather be horseback riding outside or off reading a book somewhere. Maybe out in the gardens. We have a lovely garden back home. What about you? What do you do for fun around here?"

Anna smiled. "Well, I often have the whole parlor all to myself to slide-"

As she said the word "slide," she threw her arms out, backhanding Hans in the face. He grabbed his nose out of reflex, even though Anna hadn't hit him hard enough to hurt.

"Oops, sorry," Anna squeaked.

"It's fine," Hans promised. "I don't need my nose anyway."

Anna smile in relief. "Hey, you said that you like your garden back home?"

Hans nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"I want to show you something," Anna declared. "Come with me."

She grabbed Hans's arm and pulled him towards the doors of the ballroom.

"Where are we going?" Hans asked, suddenly aware that he didn't really want to get caught wandering the castle alone with Anna. He was having a hard enough time finding a wife without being caught in a scandal with the princess of Arendelle.

"Come on, slow-poke," Anna said, pulling on Hans's arm more insistently. "You are going to love this."

Hans finally gave in he allowed Anna to pull him out of the ballroom and down the hallway.

"You know, I don't often let people drag me places," Hans told Anna as they stepped through the doors that led outside.

Anna smiled. "Yeah, I can't imagine that you are a pushover. And you're physique helps, I'm sure."

Hans smiled slightly. It was adorable how this girl was able to pepper him with compliments without seeming needy or desperate. It was a skill that few people had.

"Oh, here it is," Anna said excitedly, taking Hans's arm again. "The royal gardens are just up ahead."

Hans was hit by the smell of the roses at the same time as he spotted their colorful blossoms. The garden was simply magnificent. It was clear that a lot of care had been put into each rose bush.

"It's lovely," Hans said.

"I know," Anna squeaked. "Our maid Gerd and I work out here a lot. I mean, it's one of the only times I'm outside." Her face fell slightly.

"Hey, that's cool," Hans said, hoping that he could get Anna to smile. "I'd never have the patience for gardening."

When she didn't reply, Hans decided to try a different tactic. He let himself veer off course so that he hit Anna's shoulder lightly with his own.

She smiled and hit him back twice as hard.

Hans chuckled. He was going to make a snide comment about how Anna ought to act more like a lady, but as he turned to her, something caught his eye.

Hans had noticed the white stripe in Anna's hair multiple times before, but all of the sudden he was curious about it. It was such an unusual feature. He wondered if Anna had somehow put it in artificially.

"What's this?" He asked, gesturing to her hair.

Anna's had flew up to the side of her head.

"I was born with it. Although I dreamt that I was kissed by a troll."

Hans smiled. "I like it."

And so the night went. Hans and Anna wandered through the palace, talking laughing, sharing stories and secrets and sipping champagne. Hans was the happiest that he had been in years. And yes, it mostly had to do with the alcohol in his blood and the pretty young princess next to him. It was rare that Hans allowed himself to become tipsy and even rarer that he met another person who was willing to look past his family and his status to get to know who he really was.

Finally, at nearly midnight, Hans found himself on top of a gorgeous mountain, staring down at a waterfall and the city of Arendelle.

"It's breathtaking," Hans breathed. "This city and everything in it."

"I suppose that's one way to look at it," Anna said. "But it gets so _dull_ after awhile, you know? I've been trapped here for most of my life, always wishing for something more. I don't know what exactly. Sometimes I think I want to leave, but more often I just want to find more here. I want to get to know my sister and my people. I want a purpose in my life."

Hans smiled slightly. He understood this girl on the deepest level. He knew what it was like to be stuck somewhere wanting more. The only difference between Hans and Anna was that Hans knew what he wanted. Hans wanted out of the Southern Isles. He wanted to find somewhere that could truly be his.

"Hans, I think I'm in love with you," Anna blurted out.

Hans was instantly taken aback. He wasn't sure that anyone in his entire life had ever loved him.

And they still didn't.

Hans _knew_ that Anna didn't love him. She was attracted to him physically, sure. She probably even liked his personality. But she didn't love him. That wasn't possible in such a short time.

And Hans certainly didn't love Anna. He liked her, of course. He liked her more than he had ever like a woman in his life. She was beautiful and humble and she understood what it was like to be overlooked. She was adorable and quirky and everything that other princesses weren't. She was perfect.

But Hans knew that he didn't love her.

He looked at Anna. She started back with her wide blue eyes. They seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. In that second, Hans made his decision.

"Can I say something crazy?" Hans asked as he lowered himself the the ground so that he could kneel down. "Will you marry me?"

Anna's face lit up. "Can I say something even crazier? Yes!"

Hans rose to his feet and embraced his now fiancé. A voice in the back of his head was screaming. He had just proposed to a near stranger! A near stranger who could offer him nothing that he didn't already have!

 _No,_ Hans told himself. _I want this. She's a beautiful and sweet girl. I know that I can be happy here. That's all that matters._

"Oh!" Anna cried. "We have to tell my sister! I'm sure that she will be thrilled to meet you. I mean, who wouldn't?"

Hans smiled at the thought of walking back to the party and telling everyone that _he_ was the one who had managed to win one of the Arendelle princesses hands. Maybe she would never make him king, but he would still be the envy of the known world.

"Let's go tell Elsa," Hans agreed, taking Anna's hand.

 _Who needs like love_ , Hans thought. _When you have everything else at your fingertips?_


	4. It's Sorcery

**Author's note:**

 **Sorry for the random update schedule. I'm crazy busy with school and trying to finish a writing a book for National Novel Writing Month. But you don't want my excuses. Thanks again to everyone who's reading my story! You all are the absolute best! I hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

 **She's a Monster:**

The ball was still in full swing, despite the late hour. The band was still playing enthusiastically. Hans had to marvel at their stamina. Hans saw many of the guests had had a bit too much drink and were stumbling around the edges of the room. Others were clearly completely sober and watched the Queen with eager eyes. A few had even been bold enough to approach her. Hans would have been content to wait for her to finish her conversation before interrupting, but Anna either didn't notice her sister's company or wasn't bothered by them.

"There she is!" Anna said when she spotted her sister. "Elsa!"

Elsa turned to Anna with a slightly surprised lol on her face. After hearing Anna talk about Elias ignoring her all night, Hans has to wonder how often Elsa saw her little sister running towards her, calling her name.

But a second later the surprised look was hidden away and Elsa gave her sister a small, regal smile. Hans was again forced to realize how queen-like Elsa was.

"I mean...Queen... Me again," Anna amended. "Um. May I present Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."

Hans stepped forward and bowed slightly, still watching Elsa out of the corner of his eye.

"Your majesty," Hans said politely.

Elsa did not look particularly impressed with him. In fact his presence almost seemed to baffle her. It was almost like she was trying to puzzle out what Hans wanted. Her calculating look made Hans want to squirm, but he resisted. Intimidating though the queen was, she was just a person.

"We would like-" Anna started as she grabbed Hans's arm and smiled up at him.

Anna's smile immediately put Hans at ease. He was about to get what he had been wanting for his entire life: freedom from his family and the Southern Isles and a position where his voice and opinion might actually be heard.

"Your blessing-" Hans continued.

Anna giggled and together said: "For our marriage!"

Elsa looked like she had just been slapped in the face.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused," she said.

Anna either didn't hear or did not understand her sister, because she started rambling.

"Well, we haven't worked out all the details ourselves. We'll need a few days to plan the ceremony. Of course we'll have soup, roast, and ice cream and then- Wait. Would we live here?"

Elsa looked appalled at the idea.

"Here?" She repeated.

But Hans barely heard her. His mind was already racing with the possibility of moving into this gorgeous country. And by marrying Anna, he would effectively become crown prince of Arendelle. A powerful position in a powerful country.

"Absolutely!" Hans answered.

"Anna-" Elsa tried.

"And we can invite all twelve of your brothers to stay with us!" Anna said excitedly.

It probably would have been less painful if Anna had stabbed him. Had he not told her how awful his brothers were? Surly she didn't think that he would be eager to see the men who had made his childhood hell. He knew Anna was naive, but christ, did she really think that he wanted anything to do do with his family?

Apparently Elsa didn't want to see Hans's family anymore that he did.

"What? No no no no," Elsa said quickly, looking horrified at the notion of Hans and his twelve brothers moving into her home.

Anna kept talking like she hadn't heard her sister. "Of course we have the room. I don't know. Some of them must-"

Elsa cut her off. "Wait. Slow down. No one's brothers are staying here. No one is getting married."

"Wait, what?" Anna asked, clearly genuinely confused as to why her sister wasn't supporting her.

Something in Hans's head clicked. Whatever the reason for the princesses' reclusiveness was, Elsa knew it and Anna didn't. That much was clear. But what was even more interesting was how opposed Elsa was to letting anyone in. She wholeheartedly believed that Hans and his brothers would be dangerous to have in their home. Elsa was hiding something and Anna was unaware of it. Hans looked at Anna in concern.

"May I talk to you?" Elsa asked her sister. "Alone?" She added harshly.

Anna glanced at Hans. Her sparkling blue eyes seemed to be searching his face for an answer. Hans didn't know what to do. He didn't want to let down the beautiful girl who was somehow his fiance, but he wanted to piss off her intimidating older sister even less. He had come to Arendell in search of a new life for himself, and at this point, Elsa was one of the only people in his life that had the power to send him home in absolute humiliation.

"No," Anna declared. "Whatever you have to say, you can say to both of us."

Was it bad the Hans was happy that Anna hadn't shooed him off? She treated him like he already was part of her family. It was a strange but not unwelcome feeling.

"Fine," Elsa decided, her steel composer returning to her face and posture. "You can't marry a man that you just met."

Well, under any other circumstance,Hans would be inclined to agree with her. The habit of royals to get engaged or betrothed to people that they hardly met was rather stupid and petty. At least, it was when his brothers did it. But Hans told himself that he was different. Yes, he didn't know Anna that well, but he did like her as a person and he would never do anything to hurt her. Unlike his brother James and his addiction to taverns…

"You can if it's true love!" Anna yelled, attracting the attention of several party goers.

"Anna, what do you know of true love?" Elsa asked in a tone that was both quiet, but dangerous. Hans was again struck at how truly regal this tiny, soft spoken woman was. Suck a contrast to her quirky sister.

"More than you. All you know is how to shut people out!" Anna shoot back. Hans could see a fire blazing behind her eyes. It was the look of someone who had been deeply hurt by someone that they loved. Hans knew that look. Hans wore that look.

"You asked for my blessing, but my answer is no," Elsa said cooly.

Hans, desperately wanted to fix things. It had been stupid of him to try to win over these girls. Now he had caused Anna pain and Elsa distress. Yeah, he wasn't in love with Anna, but he didn't want to see the sweet young girl hurt. His mom was right. He ruined everything that he touched.

"Your Majesty," Hans said, stepping forward. "If I may ease your-"

"No, you may not. And I think you should go," Elas cut him off. Her composed exterior was sleeping again. She was beginning to look flustered. Has was a little proud that out of all the people at this gathering, he was the only one to get a rise out of the queen who was cold as ice. Of course, he also was extremely ashamed of feeling proud.

"The party's over," Elsa declared to the Royal Handler. "Close the gates."

Hans was so shocked at her words that he didn't even have the sense to try to stop Anna as she raced after her sister.

"What?" Anna demanded. "Elsa, no. No, wait."

Anna caught her sister's wrist. Elsa pulled away from Anna, but Anna caught her glove. Elsa stared at her bare hand in horror before spinning towards Anna and reaching for the glove in a panic.

"Give me my glove!" Elsa almost shouted.

Anna held the glove away from her sister. It was like a game of keep-away where one girl was understandably angry and the other was… panicked for some reason?

 _What's wrong with her?_ Hans thought. _It's a glove. Why doesn't she just let Anna keep it? She can take off the other one if she's worried about her outfit. Something doesn't add up._

"Elsa. please. Please, I can't live like this anymore," Anna cried.

Hans had away thought that the word 'heartbroken' was a total exaggeration, but at Anna's words, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He knew what is was like to be forced to live like a prisoner in your own life, just doing what you knew you had to do. Unable to speak your mind because, frankly, no one cared what you had to say. No one cared about you.

"Then leave," Elsa said, her voice thick with tears.

Elsa turned to walk away, but Anna wasn't done.

"What do I ever do to you?" Anna asked, her voice full of hurt and anger.

"Enough, Anna," Elsa sid quietly.

""No," Anna yelled, attacking the attention of the few people that weren't already on pins and needles, watching to sisters. "Why? Why do you shut me out? Why do you shut the world out? What are you so afraid of?"

"I said enough!' Elsa yelled. As she said it, she threw her hand to the side. A shimmer of something seemed to come out of her palm, forming an arch of sharp spikes on the ballroom floor. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. It took Hans a second to realize that the queen had just magically summoned ice onto the floor of her ballroom. Party goers shuffled back, terrified, but Hans took a step forward. He felt like he was looking at something out of a fairytale.

"Sorcery," Hans heard someone mutter. He turned to see the sleazy little man that had spoken to him that morning. The duke of Weselton.

"I knew there was something dubious going on her!" the duke yelled.

Elsa seemed to come to her senses. She turned and fled the ballroom.

The Duke rushed forward, picking his way through the ice spikes. "Let's go, men. We can't let her leave this palace."

A couple of burly men chased after the Duke, weapons in hand.

Anna and Hans shared a quick look before running after the Duke and his thugs. Anna's dress got caught on on of the ice spikes and Hans stopped to free her, allowing the Duke and his thugs to get ahead of them. But the time Hans and Anna caught up at the palace door, The Duke was yelling.

"There she is! Get her!"

Hans couldn't quite make out Elsa's words, but her voice sounded scared and pleading. It was the sound of a cornered animal, not a magical queen whom the entire world traveled to see crowned.

The Duke's thugs tried to race forward, but as they did, a streak of ice hit the ground at their feet, throwing the Duke and his thighs backwards. At any other time, it would have been funny to see the awful man slip on ice and fall on his butt.

Anna rushed past them.

"Elsa!" she called.

Hans continued to run after her. He nearly ate it on the Ice in the doorway, but he managed to keep his footing and keep running. He kept his eyes on Anna. Sure, Elsa was the one with secret ice magic, but Hans wasn't overly worried about her. That woman could scare away a bear with on glare, yet she had never set out to harm anyone. But Anna… oh, poor, innocent Anna. Her world was crumbling to bits. The least Hans could do was make sure that she didn't get hurt. Arendelle needed her.

As Hans and Anna burst through the palace gates, Hans spotted Elsa standing on the shore of the fjord. She was looking over her shoulder in fear. It was clear that she was cornered unless she was going to swim away from her country.

But then she took a tentative step forward. As she did, the water froze underneath her, creating a solid surface for her to stand on. Then she took another step. The ice expanded in a mesmerizing pattern. Pretty soon she was running at full speed across the fjord.

"Elsa, stop!" Anna yelled into the night.

Anna tried to run after her sister, but as soon as she stepped onto the ice, her feet sild out from under her.

"Anna!" Hans gasped, rushing to take his fiance in his arms.

"No," Anna whispered, devastated.

Hans glanced over the water. He couldn't quite comprehend what he was seeing. The Ice that Elsa had created seemed to be spreading across the water at an alarming pace. Hans was far from an expert on ice. He lived on an island where it almost never snowed. The salt water around him didn't freeze. He'd honestly only seen snow a handful of time on trips to mountain villages. But even Hans knew that the fjord freezing solid was a very bad thing.

"The fjord," Hans said in amazement.

Anna glanced up. Her brow furrowed but she said nothing. But it wasn't hard to see what she was thinking.

They were all in serious trouble. 


	5. How Did We Get Here?

**Hello! I'm super excited for this chapter because I get to go off script again. This is the part of the story that I'm super hyped for. Hans is ruling Arendelle!**

 **And thanks again for reading and reviewing. You're the best!**

As they walked back into the gates, Hans turned towards Anna.

"Are you alright?" Hans asked.

"No," Anna answered, crossing her arms against the snowy wind.

Hans had to admire her honesty.

"Did you know?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," Anna said again.

Hans had to marvel at how insane that it was that Anna somehow didn't know about her sister's magic. Elsa never used her magic before? That seemed unlikely. Had Anna never tried to snoop into the reason that she wasn't allowed to see people outside of the palace? That seemed even more unlikely. Hans detested his brothers with everything that he had, but he still knew _everything_ about them. The girls they were seeing, the friends that they made, the classes that they slept through. _Everything._ Even if Hans wasn't told, he snooped around until he knew the truth.

Just then an obnoxious shrill voice pierced the air.

"Look! It's snowing! The queen has cursed this land. She must be stopped. You have to go after her," The Duke of Weselton said.

Hans was about to punch the insufferable little man in his stupid little mustache, consequences to his country's foreign policy be damned, but luckily Anna stepped forward.

"Wait, no," She insisted.

The Duke jumped a foot in the air and scurried behind his thugs. He was clearly terrified of Anna. Hans found it a little funny because it was clear to anyone who paied a lick of attention that Anna couldn't hurt a fly and she didn't have ice in her veins. She was so warm and kind.

"You! Is the sorcery in you too? Are you a monster too?" He demanded.

Anna looked shocked at his words. "No. No, I'm completely ordinary."

The Duke looked skeptical so Hans decided to try to help.

"That's right. She is."

Anna glared at him and Hans processed what had just come out of his mouth.

"In the best way possible," he amended.

 _Dang it, Hans. Can't you get anything right?_

"And my sister's not a monster," Anna insisted.

"She nearly killed me!" The Duke shouted, earning worried glances from surrounding villagers.

"You slipped on ice," Hans said, knowing that it was untrue. He had seen Elsa fling magical ice at the Duke. But he had to calm this man down before he started a riot.

"Her ice!" The Duke insists.

"It was an accident," Anna said. "She didn't mean any of this. Tonight was my fault. I pushed her."

Hans had to bite his lip to keep from scoffing. None of this was Anna's fault. She was as blind as the rest of the world to what was going on. That much was clear enough. She had no emotional filter. It was clear to anyone with have a brain that she didn't have the social awareness to create a plan so elaborate with giving herself away. This wasn't a bad thing, exactly, but it was true.

"So I'm the one who should go after her," Anna concluded.

"Yes. Fine. Do," the Duke spat. Something in his eyes glinted hungrily.

"What?" Hans asked in shock.

"Bring me my horse," she ordered a nearby servant.

"Anna, no," Hans said. "It's too dangerous."

"Elsa's not dangerous," she said with a slight eye roll.

Hans disagreed. He didn't particularly think that Elsa was ill intentioned, but he think that she was very dangerous. She had frozen over the entire fjord.

"I'll make this right, I'll bring her back," Anna promised as she took the reigns of her horse.

"Then I'm coming with you," Hans said.

Anna couldn't go alone. She just couldn't.

"No," Anna answered. "I need you here to take care of Arendelle."

Hans hesitated. He really didn't want to leave Anna unprotected, but he couldn't leave the country without a leader. Or worse, in the hands of someone like the Duke of Weselton. Yes, Hans wanted to protect Anna, but he was a prince. His duty came first.

"On my honor," Hans said, quoting a line used in coronations in the Southern Isles.

Anna jumped onto the horse and turned to address her people.

"I leave prince Hans in charge," Anna declared.

"Are you sure you can trust her?" Hans asked as a final effort to stop Anna's rashness. "I don't want you getting hurt."

Anna gave him a lopsided smile. "She's my sister. She would never hurt me."

And with that, she urged her horse forward and rode out of the gate. Hans could do nothing but stare after her. He felt a strange mix of power and helpless.

"She's going to be killed," the Duke of Weselton said in a tone that was way to happy for Hans's liking.

Hans drew himself up to his full height and turned to the Duke.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," he said. He didn't believe it, but he said it.

"What does it matter to you what happens to her anyway?" The Duke asked. "You have what you come here for. Weather or not Anna comes back, you will be king."

Hans glared. "It matters because Princess Anna is my fiancé and a human being. And I think you are forgetting that until Elsa is dead, she is queen. I'm am but a regent."

The Duke scoffed. "Do you really think that Elsa will be allowed to live after tonight? Surely you've heard the story of the Ice Witch."

"That's a children's story!" Hans insisted. "It's not real."

"No, no. The wicked Ice Sorceress with her magical powers in so far fetched at this point. I hope you remember the way that the people of that kingdom brought back summer."

"No," Hans said. "No one will harm the queen. Elsa is not out to hurt anyone."

"Oh, Elsa, is it? When did you get so familiar with the Queen? Perhaps you planned this whole thing? That would explain why you refused to help me yesterday."

"I don't have time for this conspiracy," Hans spat. "Get out of my way. I have a kingdom to run."

"Prince Hans-"

"I said to get out of my way."

The Duke stepped back and Hans stormed towards the doors doors of the palace. People watched him with a somewhat weary look. He had to force himself to keep moving towards the palace because he knew if he stopped to try and comfort the person of Arendelle, he would reveal that he was just as terrified as them. He didn't understand what was happening in this country any more than the children clinging to their mothers. Yes, he had a wonderful education in politics, literature and mathematics, but Hans didn't know anything about magic or how to counteract it.

And thanks to the Duke, a terrible thought kept nagging at Hans. In the children's story about the Ice Witch, a spiteful young woman froze a kingdom after her lover left her for a kinder, more beautiful woman. She had supposedly refused to unfreeze her home until she had a ring on her finger, and she would turn anyone who approached her to solid ice. Everyone knew the story of how her lover finally drew up the courage to approach the Ice Witch. He brought an engagement ring with him and she allowed him to speak to her. He apologized and gave her the ring that she desired, but the woman had grown to like having everyone in the kingdom fear her. She turned her lover to ice so that he could never leave her again. When the kind, beatiful woman heard what had happened, she became distraught. She somehow managed to sneak into the home of the Ice Witch and drive a knife into her back. As the Witch lay dying, her ice began to melt. The kind young woman returned to her kingdom a hero for bringing back the warmth. As a child, Hans like to pretend that the story ended there, because the ending was terribly sad. The kind young woman returned to her kingdom a hero because she had melted the ice, but she had also melted the man that she had loved. She killed herself to join him.

Hans was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the men approaching him until they were right behind him, calling his name. As he turned to face them, he found that he recognized them both. One of the men was his friend Prince Tomlin from the Northern Isles and the other was Lord Anders, the man who had been sleeping on Hans's shoulder during Elsa's coronation.

"Is it true, Hans?" Tomlin asked. "You proposed to Princess Anna? You angered the Queen? You have been put in charge of the people of Arendelle?"

Hans sighed. It wasn't like he was unaware of how badly he had messed up, but he really didn't like hearing Tomlin rattle off his entire night.

"Yes, it's all true," Hans admitted. "But you should know that I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Yes, I asked Princess Anna to marry me, and yes, it's probably a little soon, but my my brothers-"

"No, Hans," Tomlin cut him off. "Don't you dare try to justify anything using your brothers' behavior as a guide. I know as well as you do that they are not people that you should be modeling yourself after. And more that that, I know that you are smart enough to see their flaws. I want you to tell me the truth."

"Okay, yes, you're right," Hans said. "I know that it is noble to marry for love or power, and I wasn't planning to gain either from Princes Anna, but you should know that my intentions were not ill. I really did want to help her and her kingdom. I wasn't in love, but I did like her. I still do. She's beautiful and kind." He cringed when he realized that he had used a line from the story of "The Ice Witch" to describe Anna. "And I honestly thought that I could help this kingdom. I thought I could open up the gates and bring joy to the people and success to the economy. How was I supposed to know that Queen Elsa was filled with sorcery?"

Tomlin crossed his arms. "I believe that's not a lie, Hans, but it's not the whole truth."

Hans threw his hands up in exasperation. "Okay, fine. I proposed to Anna to escape the Southern Isles. Is that what you want me to say? You said so yourself, my brothers are nightmares. You can't blame me for trying to find a place where they could never reach me. Tomlin, you know my family. You know what my life is like. And I wasn't lying when I said that I was trying to help Arendelle. I honestly thought that I was doing to right thing for everybody."

Frustrated, Hans ran his fingers threw his hair. When he had started this trip, he had seen it as an opportunity to finally prove that he could do something worthwhile and now all of Arendelle was falling down around him. Because of him.

Lord Anders stepped forward. "May I interject?"

"Please do," Tomlin said.

"Prince Hans, at this point It doesn't matter to me or anyone else in Arendelle how you feel about your family or even your fiance. It is good to know that you mean well, but we need to take action. You have to realize that you are currently the leader of a frozen kingdom that does not have the knowledge or infrastructure to deal with this kind of weather. It snows up in the mountains, but not usually down here on the coast. And that's not even breaching the subject of how we are going to explain what has happened regarding Queen Elsa."

He looked at Hans while Hans considered his options.

"I think that we should try something that Arendelle hasn't done in a very long time," Hans said. "We should open the gates to the people and tell them the truth."

Both Anders and Tomlin nodded thoughtfully.

"I support you, Prince Hans," Lord Anders said. "But if you truly want to try openness and honesty, you must first understand what happened tonight."

"What do you mean?" Hans asked. "I was there. I saw the whole thing."

Anders shook his head. "You don't understand. This kingdom and magic, especially winter magic have been connected for centuries. Please just allow me to explain."

"Of course," Hans said. "Anything to help the people of Arendelle."

And in his head, he added, _Anything to prove that I can do something without messing it up._


	6. A Lesson in Magic

**Author's note:**

 **Sup?**

 **Thanks again to all of my lovely readers. You have no idea how much it means to me that anyone would take time to read something that I wrote. You all are the absolute best. Anyway, on to the story. I apologize if I accidentally say something that's not canon. I'm trying.**

Lord Anders brought Hans and Tomlin to the palace library. Anders had tried to send Tomlin away, but Hans had insisted that he stay. Hans hadn't expected it to work, but apparently his word was law. This was going to take some getting used to.

"We have a book in the King's section that will tell you everything,"Anders said as he led them across the library.

"The King's section?" Hans asked.

Anders nodded. "Yes. It is a small selection of books that is only supposed to be seen by whoever the current ruler of Arendelle is. I was supposed to be showing Queen Elsa these books today. I was hoping that they would help her finally understand her powers."

Hans had to force himself not to dwell on Anders's disappointed tone.

"It sounds like you were close to the Queen," Hans commented. "You must have been one of the only people alive to know her secret."

Anders sighed. He looked so tired and frail that Hans almost regretted making him explain himself.

"Even before her parents died, Elsa and Anna were like the daughters that I never had. It broke my heart when the King declared that he wanted them kept apart."

"Why would he do that?" Hans asked, trying to suppress his anger for the late king. Maybe if he had just let Anna know the truth, none of this would have happened.

Anders didn't answer, but instead stopped in front of a bookshelf and pulled a slim volume off of it. Hans looked over his shoulder to read the title, but it was written in old runes. It was a language that hadn't been used in maybe a thousand years. Hans had only minimal training in reading in.

"What is it?" Hans asked.

"The answers to everything," Anders said cryptically. "This book is the reason the King and Queen shut out their kingdom and even their own daughter." He handed Hans the book.

"I don't understand," Hans admitted. "What is this book?"

"Have you heard the story of the Ice Witch?" Anders asked.

"Of course."

"That story is based on the one that the book in your hand details. Of course, years of oral retelling have mutilated the truth," Anders said.

Hans shook his head. "I don't know what to say."

"That's fine," Anders said. "Because I just need you to listen. The story between those pages is not one of love and bravery, it is one of hate and fear. Over a thousand years ago, the kingdom of Arendelle was very new and unstable. There was a king and queen ruling. I suppose that it wasn't a happy partnership because the king began cheating on his queen with a maid. As you can imagine, the queen was furious with her husband when she found out. She dug up ancient magic and called down a curse on the maid. I believe that she meant to kill the young woman, but magic is not always easy to control. She actually gave the maid the power over winter. When the maid woke up in a bed covered in ice, she began to panic, causing her powers to spiral out of control."

"Like Queen Elsa," Hans thought out loud.

"Exactly. Magic and emotion go hand in hand. So anyway, this young maid's new powers froze her entire kingdom. I would imagine that Arendelle looked like it does now. But unlike our Queen, this maid had somewhere to go. She ran to the King and begged him to help. He said that he couldn't do anything for her. He said that she had become a danger and that she would be banished to the North Mountains. You could imagine that this didn't go over well. The maid, blinded by rage and fear, hunted down the Queen and froze her to solid ice. She returned to the King and told him that his wife was dead and that she was pregnant with the next heir the throne and demanded that he take her as his wife. The King, after seeing what had happened to his wife, was terrified to say no. He agreed, hoping that it would help to unfreeze his kingdom. But the Ice Queen still had no control over her powers. She was still afraid that the people of Arendelle would stop fearing her and try to destroy her. Her daughter was born, and she grew up to be a bright young woman. She is actually the author of this book. Anyway, the girl, Penelope, lost her father when she was fifteen. Her mother froze her father by accident while they were fighting over the frozen state of the country. After her father turned to ice, Penelope ran away. She ran to the forest where she almost froze to death. She was rescued by rock trolls."

"Woah," Hans said. "What the heck is a rock troll? And don't tell me that's it's a troll that lives in the rocks."

"Of course not," Anders said. "It's a troll made out of rocks. Now be quiet and listen. We're about to get to the part about Elsa."

Hans nodded dumbly. He didn't know what else to to. He had never believed in magic before. Even as a child he had dismissed the stories of it as superstition. If he hadn't physically seen Elsa freeze over her entire kingdom, he wouldn't believe a word that Anders was saying.

"Anyway," Anders continued. "Penelope was rescued by the rock trolls. The took her in, cared for her and told her everything that they could about winter magic. It is said that the trolls have summer magic, so they can counteract winter powers, but they are powerless outside of their realm. But they found a way to help Penelope nonetheless. They told her that there were only two ways to end her mother's reign of terror. The first was to remove the fear and hate from her mother's heart,"

"Wait, what?" Hans asked. "You mean that the freeze can be stopped if Queen Elsa just gets a hold on her emotions?"

"Indeed," Anders said. "But that would be very difficult. For you see, the people of Arendelle fear Queen Elsa. Soon they will begin to hate her for what she has done to them. This will give her all the more reason to hate and fear them."

"Alright," Hans said slowly. "I guess that makes sense. So what did Penelope do?"

"The other option was to destroy the source of the magic," Anders said.

"She killed her mom," Hans concluded.

"She did," Anders confirmed. "And she ended the winter. This meant that she was able to marry and become the Queen of Arendelle. What she failed to realize was that the magic was in her even if she couldn't access in. Powers have shown up in the Arendelle royal family about every ten generations since Penelope's time."

"Then there have to have been other winters," Hans said.

"No, Prince Hans. The children born with powers have never, up until this point, been heir to the throne, so it was not difficult to dispose of them when they were young."

"That's awful," Hans said. "The kids didn't do anything."

"That is what Elsa's parents thought when she was born. Hell, that's what I thought up until this morning,"Anders said. "That is why Elsa was allowed to live. In fact, for the first six years of her life she was almost allowed to live a normal all hoped that she would be different, I guess. That she would be the exception, not the rule. That is, until Anna was hit with her sister's magic."

"How is that possible? Princess Anna didn't even know about her sister's powers," Hans insisted.

"Would you stop interrupting me?" Anders asked. "I promise that I'm getting there. Anna and her sister used to be very close. Anna knew about her sister's powers and she loved them. Elsa would fill the ballroom with snow and the two girls would play for hours. The King and Queen tried to discourage this- they didn't want their kingdom to know about Elsa's powers- but they never tried that hard. I think that on some level we were afraid to deny Elsa anything. Her parents loved her, as did I, but we were all afraid of what she might do. Then it happened. The two girls were playing one night and Elsa accidently shoot a stream of ice into her sister's head. The King and Queen did the only thing that they could. They took Anna to the rock trolls. The trolls removed all traces of ice magic from Anna's head. They even removed her memories of it. It saved Anna, but she could no longer remember that her sister had magic. And the Queen and King thought it better that she not find out again."

Hans knew that he shouldn't interrupt again, but he couldn't help himself. "So the King and Queen separated the girls to keep Anna safe from Elsa."

"And they shut the gates to keep the kingdom safe from Elsa," Anders concluded. "When they died, I found many books that the King had penned the explained exactly how he wanted Elsa's powers to be handed. He wanted her to suppress her magic and remain as far away from her people as possible. He wrote the Anna should never be told the truth. He wanted her to marry into another kingdom. They would have been thrilled if Anna had returned to the Southern Isles with you, even with your family troubles."

Hans looked at his feet. He was very uncomfortable with that statement. How could someone wish their own daughter into an emotionally abusive household rather than at her home with her sister?

"They thought that Queen Elsa was that dangerous?" Hans asked, his voice sounded choked.

Andres sighed. "Queen Elsa is that dangerous. I have practically raised her and I love her with all of my heart. I hope that we can somehow bring her home and gain the kingdom's trust again- truly, I do- but we have to face the facts, Prince Hans. I am telling you all this so that you understand how serious this situation is. Ice magic is something to be feared, regardless of the intentions of the person wielding it."

Hans felt sick to his stomach. "So you brought me here to tell me that this is hopeless. We can't heal the rift between Queen Elsa and her people and Queen Elsa is too powerful for us to fight against?"

"Hans, I brought you here so that I could make sure that you understand what you are up against. I don't want you to make any decision without understanding the potential consequences."

Hans crossed his arms. "Well you haven't changed my mind. We are still going to allow Princess Anna a chance to try to talk some sense into her sister. In the meantime, we will provide care to all of the people of Arendelle. We will _not_ fill their heads with stories about how impossible this all is. We have to keep moral high so that everyone will respond better when Queen Elsa returns."

For the first time since entering the library, Tomlin spoke up. "And if Princess Anna doesn't return? What then?"

Hans didn't know. He was so out of his element right now. His entire life he had been groomed for a easy life as some duchess's husband. He had never planned on actually running a country, much less one that had been magically buried in snow by its own queen.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there, I guess," Hans said, clutching the book that he was still holding tightly. "In the meantime, I motion that we put some faith in our Princess and Queen."

Tomlin shook his head. "You're being foolish, Hans."

Hans knew that he was being foolish, but he didn't know what else to do. He didn't have a lot of options.

"Tomlin, please," Hans said. "I know that we don't usually see eye to eye, but you are one of my best friends. I'm doing what I think is best, and I would appreciate a little support."

Tomlin looked a little surprised at Hans's resolve.

"Yes, your Highness," Tomlin said with a small smirk.

"Shut up," Hans said. But Tomlin's comment had brought a smile to his face. He really was glad that his friend was here for him, even if he was annoyingly critical.

"And I'm sorry," Tomlin added. "I'm just still in disbelief over everything that has happened. I will stand beside you, Hans, no matter what."

"Okay," Andres said. "Let's go Prince Hans. The people are waiting."

Hans took a deep breath. He could do this. He could somehow do the impossible. He was going to prove that he could handle this.


End file.
